Jonas Hamilton is Worshiping Toward His Calling

Jonas Hamilton came to Pepperdine’s Seaver College with a divine intention: to live out ministry through worship and spiritual community. From his childhood in Santa Cruz, California, and through his formative years, he sensed a clear calling to be used by God to bring heaven on earth in any way he could. When he arrived at the Malibu campus, he recognized immediately that the Christ-centered environment would be the stage for that purpose.

“I have felt a strong call to be involved in ministry and to be someone who is used in any capacity to help bring the Kingdom of Heaven down to Earth. All I want to do is honor God in that way,” says Hamilton. “I wanted to go to a university that offered a lot of worship opportunities and had a strong worship community. l wanted to go to a university that was centered around Christ.”

Hamilton was immediately drawn to the vibrant worship culture at Pepperdine and, after applying and being accepted, devoted his time to participating in student-led ministries like The Well, a weekly worship gathering held in the Amphitheater, which invites believers from all backgrounds into fellowship, music, and teaching. Soon Hamilton began writing and performing original music with WAVES WORSHIP, a homegrown worship movement uniting students, staff, and alumni in songwriting, live gatherings, and outreach and also began volunteering at Athlete’s Chapel.

Over time, music, community, and spiritual growth became clear components of his calling. Hamilton considers worship to be both art and ministry—a response to God’s calling and invitation for the community to encounter Him together. In 2025 he experienced the joy of worshiping before 5,000 people at the Pepperdine Worship Summit alongside worship leaders like Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes.

“When I'm worshiping or when I'm volunteering, I'm being poured into,” he says. It's not only me pouring out into other people. I love being in communion with the Lord and being in communion with other believers. I feel like I'm meant to be doing what I'm doing.”

Beyond developing and refining his musical craft, Hamilton’s journey reflects his commitment to spiritual formation and leadership. Through the Hub for Spiritual Life’s Spiritual Leadership Cohort, he has been mentored by staff and peers and has learned to shepherd others and align his gifts with purpose. He acknowledges worship director Kolomona “Ko” Ku, WAVES WORSHIP leadership, and other student peers as spiritual mentors who have invested in his growth.

For Hamilton, worship is about service. His regular contributions to The Well and Athlete’s Chapel serve to open spaces for others to encounter God, especially athletes who might not otherwise engage deeply in worship. He says serving is never a sacrifice but a joy to be in communion with God and his brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Being involved with helping people encounter the Lord in any possible way I can is one of my greatest joys,” Hamilton says.

As an economics major with a minor in German, Hamilton balances academics with spiritual leadership, but ministry remains central. He senses a deeper call to full-time ministry, whether at camps, churches, or Pepperdine’s campus ministries. Through opportunities to experiment, serve, write music, lead worship, and encounter robust spiritual mentorship, he has been inspired toward a lifelong vocational purpose.